Association gives SES united voice

THEY spend their days hiking through forests searching for missing people, repairing roofs during cyclones and generally helping those in tough situations. Now Queensland State Emergency Service volunteers are helping themselves by forming a local SES association.

The Queensland Volunteer Emergency Services association (name is yet to be confirmed) is still in the early planning stages, but it is all about giving SES volunteers a united voice and harnessing the thoughts and ideas they come up with while on the job.

"This is something we have wanted for a long time," Whitsunday SES volunteer Mark Connors said.

"There are a few issues we are concerned with at the moment and this is a way for the volunteers to be heard," he said.

Mr Connors has been working on the project with Mackay SES volunteer Justin Englert.

Mr Englert said it was important to recognise that the formation of the association is in no way a union.

"It is not about having a whinge session; it's about giving the members a voice and taking the issues we have to the Government," he said.

Mr Englert said one of the issues was that some SES volunteers were frustrated by the continuous training they were required to undertake.

"In Mackay we don't have a problem getting volunteers, but we are losing them because we don't have enough trainers to keep up the engagement," he said.

"These volunteers already have a job and personal commitments; they don't want the SES to turn into a second job. We have suggestions on how we can make it easier but it is taking too long to get these procedures in place."